D.C. bars tap into shutdown mood

That’s the attitude furloughed federal workers are taking, and local bars are opening their doors and offering specials to those who might have more time on their hands, but not necessarily a paycheck in their pocket. Managers and bartenders have noticed more groups streaming in, particularly staffers who have staked out tables earlier in the day than usual.

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“We’re getting more people stopping by during the day than typical and we’re also getting more day drinking than typical,” said Kirk Francis, owner of Thomas Foolery in Dupont.

Additionally, Granville Moore’s on H Street, which typically only serves lunch on Fridays, is opening for lunch throughout the shutdown and offering Stella Artois for $1.

“We’re open for lunch and we have people in here, which is crazy!” Moore’s owner Teddy Folkman laughed.

The specials also seem to keep those out of work and without pay in good spirits.

“We appreciate the happy hour situation in D.C. because otherwise we have to explain to our wives that we’re not getting paid. So we appreciate the ability to procrastinate as long as possible,” joked one furloughed staffer of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, who was enjoying the all-day happy hour with a group of friends at Scion.

In fact, others are seizing the moment when their workaholic friends are now suddenly available.

“I’ve been trying to get him out for two years for an afternoon drink and this is very first time in two years I’ve got a call before 6 o’clock, ‘hey, we’re drinking.’ So I’d just like to personally thank the Republican Party,” said an OxFam staffer, who was not furloughed, but joining those at Scion.

He continued: “I only know government workers, this is the best thing that’s happened to my social life in a very long time. I just want to say, ‘Mr. Boehner, I understand finally where you’re coming from.’”

Other groups have organized strategies to enjoy as many shutdown specials as possible.

“There’s been a Gmail circulation just amongst friends,” said one female government agency staffer who was furloughed and joined friends at Thomas Foolery. “This is our first stop.”

“We’ve gone to Piola because they give forty percent off of our food, D.C. Reynolds was buy one get one [free], Z Burger is giving free hamburgers away,” her friend, also furloughed, said.

Bar owners have also noticed an increase in business, banking that those without work will visit the neighborhood bars as opposed to work-adjacent places on the Hill, and listening to what customers are looking for.

At The Blaguard, owner Nic Makris said a shutdown deal has become part of the D.C. “culture,” with people “walking through the door and the first question is ‘what’s the shutdown deal?’” He added that his pub saw a 50 to 75 percent increase of patrons Tuesday, the first night of the shutdown, mainly from those who live in the Adams Morgan neighborhood where his bar is located.

“We’re just servicing our local clientele, many of whom are government employees that don’t have jobs right now, which does mean they come in a little bit earlier and stay a bit later,” Makris said.

“Whenever there’s a day like this that happens, some sort of snow day, whether it’s good or bad, we try to open up just to be here for the neighborhood,” Folkman said.

Eric Santiago, general manager of Urbana, which is extending happy hour one hour for each day the shutdown continues, also expressed the need to help the community.

“If there’s anything we learned from the big recession that happened in 2008, it’s that restaurants and hospitality-driven establishments really survive when they take good care of people,” Santiago said.

However, that “snow day” feeling Folkman mentioned is already starting to wane and owners realize the party won’t last forever as the shutdown drags on and people are worried how long they can afford even discounted drinks.

“The first lunch everybody was planning what they were going to do with their day, and now it’s like—I just talked to a guest who’s finishing up right now actually— they were expressing how much money that each day this is costing them personally,” Folkman said.

As the levity of friends getting to spend the day drinking and eating together is quickly turning into anger and frustration, some bars capitalizing on this too.

At Thomas Foolery, where the group of furloughed staffers congregated, the offer is a dollar discount if you order “angrily,” which the owner said “suited the mood of D.C. at the moment.”

“You would not imagine the verve with which someone can order a Raging B—— IPA,” Francis said.

The staffers at Scion agreed when asked how long they’ll be able to continue to enjoy shutdown happy hours.